Balloon launching apparatus with target indicating ring

ABSTRACT

A game of skill in which an elongated balloon is pressed into a mounted cylindrical launching tube, against a projection in the launching tube, and released permitting the balloon to fly out of the tube on a trajectory determined by the postion of the tube. The balloon is encircled by an elasitc band or ring prior to launching, and the encircling ring is ejected by the balloon at the point of impact. The complete game may include the launching tube and mount, an elongated balloon and encircling elastic ring together with one or more targets to be encircled by the ring.

Dugan et al.

[ Nov. 6, 1973 BALLOON LAUNCHING APPARATUS WITH TARGET INDICATING RING [75] Inventors: Robert Dugan, Shelby J. Boone, both of Minneapolis, Minn.

[73] Assignee: The Raymond Lee Organization,

Inc., New York, NY. a part interest [22] Filed: Apr. 17, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 244,693

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS l0/l965 Shih ..46/88 10/1957 Solomon ..46/88 3,665,640 5/1972 Kirk 46/88 Primary Examiner-Richard C. Pinkham Assistant Examiner-Marvin Siskind Att0rneyHoward l. Podell [57] ABSTRACT A game of skill in which an elongated balloon is pressed into a mounted cylindrical launching tube, against a projection in the launching tube, and released permitting the balloon to fly out of the tube on a trajectory determined by the postion of the tube. The balloon is encircled by an elasitc band or ring prior to launching, and the encircling ring is ejected by the balloon at the point of impact. The complete game may include the launching tube and mount, an elongated balloon and encircling elastic ring together with one or more targets to beencircled by the ring.

2 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures BALLOON LAUNCHING APPARATUS WITH TARGET INDICATING RING SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a game of skill in which an inflated balloon is launched from a mounted tube to hit a specific target. An encircling ring on the launched balloon is dropped by the balloon at the point of impact so as to encircle the target.

The launching device is a hollow cylindrical tube which is mounted so that the longitudinal axis of the tube is pivotable in a vertical plane. The base which holds the tube may be rotated in the horizontal plane to also aim the launching tube. A projection in the tube, preferably a round rod mounted to the bottom of the tube and projecting along the longitudinal axis of the launching tube, serves to compress an elongated balloon that is manually pushed into the tube from the tube mouth. An elastic encircling band is placed about the nose of the inflated balloon prior to the release of the balloon. Manual release of the compressed balloon serves to eject it into the air on a trajectory determined by the position of the launching tube and the'location of the weight of the encircling ring. Upon impact, the encircling ring is released, with the balloon bounding away from the target. The target may be a two or three dimensional form to be encircled by the ring, or the target may be in the form of an open hoop, with various points awarded to the player whose balloon or ring, or both go through the hoop I BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The objects and features of the invention may be understoodwith reference' to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment of the invention, taken together with the'accompanying drawing in which:

- about the inflated balloon;

FIG. 5 is a side view of the balloon about to be released out of the launching tube; and

FIG. 6 is a cross-section in elevation of the launching tube.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Turning now descriptively to the drawing, in which similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views, FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 5

'as to fix the longitudinal axis of launching tube at any desired angle to the horizontal plane, with base 1 1 resting on a horizontal member. Base 11 is fastened by rivets 16 to frame 13.

A dowel pin 15, fastened along the longitudinal axis of launch tube 12, is fixed to the inside bottom 24 of the launch tube.

As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, an inflated elongated balloon 20 and an elastic ring 21 are assembled together, with the ring located as desired around the periphery of the balloon 20 in the general location of the nose 23 of the balloon. For accurate repetition of trajectories, the-inflated balloon diameter A should be of the order of the inner diameter B of the tube 12.

The inflated balloon 20 assembled with the elastic ring 21 is pressed into the launch tube 12, as shown in FIG. 5 against the dowel pin 15 by a hand 19, and then released with the balloon and ring flying to the target. Upon impact, the ring is released with the balloon rebounding from'the point of initial impact.

Since obvious changes may be made in the specific embodiment of the invention described herein, it is indicated that all matter contained herein is intended as illustrative and not as limiting in scope.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A game of skill, in which anfinflated balloon is ejected on a trajectory towards a target from .a launching tube, with the balloon marking the general area of impact when it strikes an object, consisting of a hollow launching tube, rotatable joint means mounting the tube to a base so as to permit the longitudinal axis of the launch tube to rotate in the vertical plane when the base is resting on a horizontal surface, means to fix the said rotatable joint in one position,

a circular member inside of said launch tube that acts to compress an inflated balloon which is pressed into said launch tube, and an inflated balloon which may be manually compressed against said circular member in the launch tube and then released, said balloon when released being ejected in a trajectory based on the angular setting of the launch tube axis with regard to the frame of the device, and

an elastic ring which is fastened over the nose section of the inflated balloon prior to its release out of the launch tube, said elastic ring serving to mark the impact area struck by the ejected balloon, by the ring being ejected from the balloon when the balloon makes impact with a target.

2. The combination recited in claim 1 together with a target which is of lesser diameter than the diameter of the elastic ring so that an assembled balloon and ring ejects the ring about the target when said balloon impacts the target. 

1. A game of skill, in which an inflated balloon is ejected on a trajectory towards a target from a launching tube, with the balloon marking the general area of impact when it strikes an object, consisting of a hollow launching tube, rotatable joint means mounting the tube to a base so as to permit the longitudinal axis of the launch tube to rotate in the vertical plane when the base is resting on a horizontal surface, means to fix the said rotatable joint in one position, a circular member inside of said launch tube that acts to compress an inflated balloon which is pressed into said launch tube, and an inflated balloon which may be manually compressed against said circular member in the launch tube and then released, said balloon when released being ejected in a trajectory based on the angular setting of the launch tube axis with regard to the frame of the device, and an elastic ring which is fastened over the nose section of the inflated balloon prior to its release out of the launch tube, said elastic ring serving to mark the impact area struck by the ejected balloon, by the ring being ejected from the balloon when the balloon makes impact with a target.
 2. The combination recited in claim 1 together with a target which is of lesser diameter than the diameter of the elastic ring so that an assembled balloon and ring ejects the ring about the target when said balloon impacts the target. 